New deal to deliver hybrid solar solutions to outback Australia

Queensland-based solar project developer Ingenero has signed an agreement with the Australian division of SMA Solar Technology to fast track the uptake of hybrid PV systems in remote Australian communities and locations, to replace costly and polluting diesel generators.

The agreement, which also extends to the Pacific and south east Asia, follows Ingenero’s successful installation of a solar diesel hybrid system in the Pacific Island of Tonga, where solar power now offsets up to 70 per cent of the grid’s electricity demand.

The 500kW Tonga system uses SMA Solar’s Fuel Save Controller technology which, according to the global market leader in solar inverter technology, allows a high share of photovoltaic to be integrated into a hybrid energy system.

The companies say that the use of such solar PV systems in remote Australia could deliver a major offset in the amount of diesel being used for electricity generation as well as reducing cost volatility caused by diesel price fluctuations and supply chain logistics.

As well as its role in the Tonga project, Ingenero has also recently announced the development of a utility-scale hybrid solar system for the Rio Tinto bauxite mine and township in Weipa, Australia.